The loose dirt turned easy. Two years before that, Riverside resident Hiram Granados Alvarez was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to ship 220 pounds of cocaine to a drug ring in Baltimore. Even if Sinaloas dont move the drugs themselves, they tax any other cartel that ships narcotics through their territory, like a smuggling tollbooth. Around 9:45 a.m. Friday, a driver arrived at a cargo border crossing with a tractor-trailer shipment that was manifested as medical supplies. And these figures still don't account for all the drugs and cash seized in Riverside County. If Leon-Garcias truck had been stopped here, instead, the case would have been far less remarkable. A total of 12 suspects have been arrested, with several more still outstanding. Behind him was a 10-foot pyramid comprised of contraband. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. In total, 1088. The investigation led to search warrants being served at narcotics stash houses in the Riverside County cities of Moreno Valley and Perris, east of Los Angeles. This black pipe, which shut down I-10 for about 30 minutes on Aug.18, was filled with a half-pound of methamphetamine, and had almost certainly fallen off an eastbound truck smuggling narcotics. Last year, four Coachella men were indicted as part of a conspiracy to move millions in Sinaloa drug profits from Canada to Mexico. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay Mesa and found 3,014 pounds (1,367.1 kilograms) of methamphetamine, the agency said Sunday. "The defendants were able to smuggle the drugs across the border during COVID, when it was more difficult to do.". You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Instead, there isa low-profile,commercialized pipeline, where violence would only cut into high profits, DEA officials say. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mop the kitchen. "These numbers are significant," said Kristi Johnson of the FBI. The drugs were intended for distribution in Southern California, including Los Angeles, according to DEA officials, who displayed the haul at the agency's warehouse in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County. "The Justice Department is committed to making our neighborhoods safer by aggressively disrupting drug cartel operations in the United States.". Authorities said the Oct. 2 take,. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. Other suspects are alleged to have then distributed the drugs to gang members across the Inland Empire. How To Sign Up, Name That Species: What In The World Is This Strange Creature? The drugs seized at the location, which also included heroin and fentanyl, had a street value of about $7.2 million. Then Reyes rattled off a list of chores. The DEA said the Los Angeles area is the preferred transportation hub for drug traffickers because it is north of the border and it is easier to blend into big cities. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. Authorities said the Oct. 2 take, which involved two locations, in Moreno Valley and Perris, represents the largest domestic seizure of the narcotic in the agency's history. "Wow," Lisa Serrano, a shopper, said. The driver was Javier Leon-Garcia, 53, a Moreno Valley resident who police say drove the drugs cross-country before being snagged. "When someone is on supervised release, the expectation is that they will refrain from committing further crimes," said Diaz. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. 11/22/2022 12:00 AM. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. First, they had caught a street-level dealer in Temecula with 33 grams. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. The Riverside office also seized nearly $47 million in cash, vehicles and guns during that three-year span. The arrests were announced during a news conference in Riverside Wednesday morning, where authorities said violent crime has risen dramatically during the pandemic. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. The 2,224 pounds (1,008.7 kilograms) of methamphetamine was seized Oct. 2 during an investigation of a drug-trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel, the DEA said in a statement. A total of 23 arrests . In total, CBP officers found approximately 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder and almost 37 pounds of fentanyl pills, worth an estimated $7.2 million. DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nations borders. RIVERSIDE, California (AP) A former U.S. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. From April to August 2020, Gomez and Rodriguez allegedly purchased methamphetamine from suppliers in Mexico as well as in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, according to investigators. Two duffel bags replete with narcotics allegedly changed hands. Finn ut mer om hvordan vi bruker informasjonen din i retningslinjene for personvern og retningslinjene for informasjonskapsler. People who live in the Inland Empire said it was scary not knowing if the stash houses were located in their communities. He pulled into the garage, then closed the door behind him. Published: Jun. The DEA decided this was the moment to strike. A team of agents cut the fence and stormed the home, guns drawn. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids early this month that led to the biggest domestic seizure of methamphetamine in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history. LA man receives 3 years in prison for $619,000 skimming scheme. And, just this month, they started conducting surveillance on a drug courier who they believed was managing a stash house in an undisclosed neighborhood in Moreno Valley. A furry hero sniffs out one of the largest drug busts in Fontana. This is real proof of a job well done.. Border Patrol officials said this summer that the quantity of meth and heroin theyre intercepting now is 10 times higher than it was a decade ago. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office will be hosting a Deputy Sheriff and Correctional Deputy Expedited Hiring Event on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Palm Desert High School, 74910 Az. No one knew where it had come from. It gradually destroys the body and mind of people who use it, and eventually it kills them.. (DEA) MORENO VALLEY, CA Federal agents on Wednesday announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust by Drug Enforcement Agency . Meth is an especially vicious drug, he said. He previously was a reporter and assistant city editor for the Daily Pilot, a Times Community News publication in Orange County, and before that wrote for the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. However, even raw numbers reveal Riverside County as a centerpiece in U.S. drug trafficking, rivaling the nations largest cities. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Narcotics seized during a bust Friday in Otay Mesa. Travel Safely and Make it to the Table for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. They probably didnt even know there was a pipeline beneath their feet, Moore said. The DEA said it was not revealing the locations of the stash houses because detectives were still working on making arrests. The deputy was not surprised. In the early-morning hours of August 19, 2020, as the rest of Santa Barbara slept, a platoon of law enforcement officers lay wide awake in the thick chaparral above Arroyo Quemada Beach. The house sat on Pace Lane in Indio Hills, behind a chain-link fence and a locked gate, miles from all but a few neighbors. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. CALIFORNIA, USA Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10-foot high pile of . Your dad just called, said Teresa Reyes, speaking to her daughter on a cellphone. Desert Sun reporter Brett Kelman can be reached by phone at (760) 778-4642, by email at brett.kelman@desertsun.com, or on Twitter @TDSbrettkelman. The Riverside County District Attorneys Office has pointed to this bust as an example of the importance of local wiretaps, but the case also shows how drug trafficking has changed in this region. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. We dont see many of those anymore.. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Four gang members have been arrested for the murder of an innocent man in the Riverside neighborhood of Casa-Blanca following a large-scale gang bust. Massino cited Little Rock just as an example, but he couldnt have picked a truer one. LOS ANGELES - Authorities this morning arrested 16 defendants linked to an Inland Empire-based drug trafficking ring that used the U.S. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. "The total seized drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million.". "That's a bad combination.". We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given.. Industrial-sized labs moved to Mexico, where American laws are meaningless, and cartels now smuggle their product to their customer base in the U.S. Superficially,the shift has made Riverside County safer. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. 1/15/2023 Moore, Ezekiel Age: 34 Sex: M Arrest Date\Time: 1/15/2023 4:48:00 AM Case Number: 13-004901 PARMELE ST Rockford, IL 61104 Arrest Location: Rockford, IL Another tap led further up the supply chain, to Armando Garcia Beltran, a Lake Elsinore man who smuggled narcotics across the border. In April, Arkansas State Police found 275 poundsof meth worth an estimated $10 million hidden in a semi-truck on Interstate 40, about 10 miles east of Little Rock. The investigation led to the seizure of dozens of kilos of illegal drugs - including 21 kilos of suspected carfentanil. On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an Otay Mesa commercial facility in San Diego County seized more than 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and heroin as part what the DEA characterized as the second-largest methamphetamine bust along the southwest border in the history of the CBP. Posted Wed, Jan 29, 2020 at 2:22 pm PT. Agents seized more than 5,000 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Im proud of the CBP officers dedication to our mission; they continue to stop dangerous drugs from entering our communities.". Operation Crystal Shield has been a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in multiple cities, including Perris, Fontana, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a record-breaking bust Wednesday: roughly 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine recovered in Riverside County. More than 1.5M positive COVID-19 cases since 2020. 2023 www.desertsun.com. January 10, 2023 at 5:40 p.m. Officials interdicting bundles of meth, heroin and fentanyl on Friday said it was the second-largest meth bust in Customs and Border Protection history. If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. Another blast is on the way. Over a three-year period that ended in September, the Riverside DEA Office, which also covers San Bernardino County, has seized about 6,500 pounds of meth and 770 pounds of heroin. Justice officials fear nation's biggest wiretap operation may not be legal. It was the quintessential pipe bomb, about a foot long and an inch-and-a-half wide, with caps on both ends. RIVERSIDE - In what is believed to likely be the largest seizure of carfentanil in Riverside County, a Perris man and woman have been charged by the DA's Office with four drug-related felonies after a lengthy investigation by the Riverside Police Department. Authorities arrested eight defendants Thursday named in a federal grand jury indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking organization operating in Los Angeles and Riverside. The massive methamphetamine seizure was part of Operation Crystal Shield, a nationwide effort the DEA launched in February. The largest DEA domestic seizure of methamphetamine in history is a significant blow to the cartels, but more importantly it is a gigantic victory for communities throughout Southern California and the United States who have had to deal with the torrent of methamphetamine coming into their neighborhoods, Shea said. The department said members of its DEA task force has been on the trail of the massive drug ring with ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel since June. There's more guns on the street than I've ever seen in my career, and there's thousands of people who should be incarcerated who aren't incarcerated right now," said Gonzalez. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Please reload the page and try again. Sheriff's Administration Posted on: January 10, 2023 Homicide Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Richard Carroll File # WI230090039 Details: Redding felon's drug sales arrest marks second drug bust in 11 days - Woman also arrested . Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10-foot high pile of the confiscated drug representing a haul of more than 2,200 pounds seized at stash houses in Riverside County, along with cocaine and heroin. "Meth, heroin, cocaine," said city councilman Mike Gardner. The entire operation lasted nearly two years. "Drugs make people make bad decisions," said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez. Anexample of one such house was uncovered in 2006, when the DEA raided a home in a far-flung corner of the Coachella Valley. Severe Weather The DEA's bust was just one of two massive meth seizures by federal authorities in October. Updated: 10:31 PM PDT October 14, 2020 CALIFORNIA, USA Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10-foot high pile of. News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. And some of it, concealed inside duffle bags, was apparently passed between cars in public including at a Sam's Club parking lot in Moreno Valley. All rights reserved, 'I Was There When': 1994 Northridge Quake, Authorities: 37 Pounds of Meth Found in Driver's Spare Tire, Second-Largest Border Meth Bust in History Announced, CBP Finds $3.9 Million Worth of Meth, Cocaine in Boulders at Tecate Crossing, Netflix Is Hiring a Flight Attendant for One of Its Private Jets and the Job Pays Up to $385,000, It's Just Heartbreaking': Orange County Public Defender Dies in Mexico, Amazon Set to Begin New Round of Layoffs Affecting Over 18,000 People. It looks just like someone coming home from work.. MORENO VALLEY, CA Federal agents on Wednesday announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust by Drug Enforcement Agency investigators in domestic U.S. history, displaying a 10-foot-high pile of the drug weighing more than 3 tons seized at stash houses in Riverside County. INDIO, Calif. The black plastic pipe lay under the overpass, resting against the center median of Interstate 10, one of the nations busiest highways. 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